Land Owners in Ekiti State comprises five major families (Odofin, Ibewu, Awolu, Ajana and Elemo) have accused the Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti Oba Adeola Ajakaye and the management of Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, of forcefully taking over their 10 Hectares of land.
The land Owners, who alleged that the Monarch had earlier grabbed 230 hectares of land for the establishment of the University without consulting nor compensating them, said he had also encroached on the land opposite the University which is the only thing left for their survival.
Speaking during a peaceful protest on Wednesday within the premises of the University, the leader of the group, Dr. Sunday Oyeyemi called on the Federal Government and Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji to prevail on the monarch to steer clear of their land.
The protesters held placards which read “Kayiyesi Oluyin wants to acquire out land illegally and sell it later”, “Say no to dictatorship, enough is enough”, “NUC said 230 Hectares of land is enough”, “Overhead bridge linking University classroom and Senate Building l, what a lie?”, “Okelawe People are now IDDP internally displaced and deprived people it please”, “Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (MOB), stop using FG power to suppress us”, “Enough of trade by barter”, “Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (MOB), is this University meant to kill us?”.
Oyeyemi said the National Universities Commission (NUC) had earlier said the existing 230 hectares are enough for the University, but lamented the further action of the Monarch, which according to him would subject the owners to hardship, noting that some of the owners are orphans, widows, whose survival rely on the land.
He thereby pleaded with the Monarch and other critical stakeholders involved in the land matters to leave the 10 hectares for the owners.
His words, “We are pleased with the establishment of this University,we thank MOB for bringing it to Iyin-Ekiti.
“However, the Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti had forcefully secured 230 from us. NUC came and said it’s enough but along the line, Kabiyesi and MOB, have moved to the next land opposite the University and grab another 10 hectares of land for what they called seed money.
“We want the FG and people to save our souls, the land is not meant for the University, they want to buid classroom, hostels, overhead bridge, how?
“We are appealing to the government to leave the left land for our survival. We are pleading passionately. Even the 230 hexttasare taken from us, there was no compensation, all our crops were destroyed”.
Also, Babatunde Adeyeye claimed that many of their crops were destroyed during the land clearing of the initial 230 hectares, with security agencies manning every quarters to deny them action.
“We don’t have any other thing here except the land, the University didn’t tell us they want to take the land away from us. Some of the owners are orphans, widows, they are using it for farming. They want to use it the land for their selfish interest”.
However, when visited, the Oluyin of Iyin Ekiti, Oba Ajakaiye declined comments even after his Personal Assistant briefed him about the purpose of the visitation.
